


You and Me, Come Whatever

by live_laugh_read



Series: Billabong Missing Moments [8]
Category: Billabong Series - Mary Grant Bruce
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-24 05:53:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6143620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_laugh_read/pseuds/live_laugh_read
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A missing scene from Billabong Gold by Mary Grant Bruce, in which Norah Meadows is comforted by her husband.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You and Me, Come Whatever

The bath was overflowing, and Norah was hard-pressed to keep her son in check. So much like Wally, in both appearance and personality, was the boy; so much so that it made Norah’s heart ache sometimes, with love and a happiness she had never known before she had married Wally. 

Davie seemed to have forgotten about yesterday’s adventure with McGill, and was happily kicking a yellow duck which rode the waves. However, last night had been a sleepless one for Norah, as every time she closed her eyes it seemed that the image of McGill’s face loomed. The incident had shaken her more than she cared to admit, and she wished - foolishly, she thought - that Wally were there so that she could turn to him for safety and protection. 

“Dad!” Her son’s face had lit up, and he was looking over her shoulder, towards the bathroom door. Norah turned, faster than she thought possible, and saw her husband, standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb. His hands were in his pockets, his black hair ruffled, his tall, lean frame clothed in riding clothes. The brown eyes met the grey, and they looked at each other for a long moment, drinking in the image of each other. 

Norah’s resolve broke, and her lip trembled. “Did you know how much I wanted you?” she whispered, and then he was crossing the bathroom to wrap her in his arms. She rested her head against his chest, her hands clinging to his coat, fighting back tears that threatened to fall. Wally’s arms were around her; she felt one across her shoulder and the other across her back. Here, she knew, she was safe: Wally would not let any harm come to her. 

After some time, Wally whispered in her ear, “I’m going to put Davie to bed, all right?” When she acquiesced, he carried their son out of the bathroom and Norah leaned back against the bath. The last twenty-four hours had been trying, and now she felt a lack of energy and a need to cry. 

Presently Wally returned, and before she knew what he was doing he had squatted to her level, scooped her up in his arms bridal style, and was carrying her out of the bathroom, towards their bedroom. She nestled her head into his shoulder, whispering, “I was so scared, Wally.” In response, his arms tightened around her, holding her closer to him. 

Once in their bedroom, he lay her on the bed, stripping her of her clothes with quiet, tender movements, before helping her to tug a shirt of his over her head. Norah realised that he knew she would need the security and comfort tonight, and she appreciated the gesture. He went to change himself, out of riding clothes and into sleeping clothes, and when he came back she reached her arms out for him. 

Norah tugged her husband down onto the bed beside her, and he pulled the covers up to prevent cold from seeping in. Under the covers, his hand slid under her shirt to rest on her hip, warm, comforting and protective, as their eyes locked. “Jim told me everything,” Wally whispered hoarsely. “By God, Norah, I wish I had been here to protect you.” 

“I wanted you,” she answered, not breaking her gaze from his steady brown eyes. “When I realised McGill was not somebody to be crossed, despite knowing that if I needed to I could stand my ground, I wanted you there to look after me.” Norah would never admit that to anyone else; she trusted Wally with her life and with her heart. 

His other hand, his left hand, found hers and he slipped his fingers in between hers. Against her finger, she felt the wedding ring which he always wore, his reminder to himself and to everyone else that she was the one he wanted, the one he had chosen. “Norah,” he murmured, “I love you so much that even the thought of McGill coming near you sends a knife through my heart.” 

It was not easy for him to say those words; he was not a man used to talking of his feelings, and he preferred instead to show them through his actions. Somehow, Norah knew that he was aware that she needed those words tonight. “Don’t blame yourself,” she said quietly. “You were not to know he would come yesterday.” 

Norah saw his eyes soften, saw the love in them deepen. This man, by the grace of God, was her husband and her lover, and the father of her son. In that moment, she thanked the Father that he should have sent such a dependable, reliable man to her. “I love you,” he repeated, before hesitating a moment, then he said, “I paid a visit to McGill’s camp before I came here. I don’t think he’ll be troubling you again.” 

It hit her like a lightning bolt from the blue. Her husband, despite the fact that McGill was an ex prizefighter, and much larger than him, had gone to challenge the other man. For her. 

“Wally -” her breath hitched. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“Yes, I did,” he said. “You matter to me, Nor. I had to ensure your safety.” He must have seen the worry in her eyes, for he added, “Don’t worry, I didn’t fight him: his lameness saw to that.”

She knew, however, that he would have done so if McGill had not been lame. Wally knew she could look after herself, but his quietly chivalrous manner meant he would always defend her honour. 

“You and me, come whatever,” he murmured. “I told you that on our wedding day. Well, this is ‘whatever’.” 

Norah laughed, for the first time, and saw him relax in relief. “It definitely is. I love you too, Wally.” 

They were four years into their marriage; it was a long, long journey, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would stay by her side. And if she had had any doubts, they were dispelled when he finally kissed her, drawing her close to him. 

Norah found that she slept better that night than she had the previous night, safe and warm in her husband’s arms. He curled around her protectively, as if he would shield her from all the dangers of the night, and she smiled into the darkness. No more would she be afraid of McGill, because Wally stood with her, always ready to look after her if needed.

**Author's Note:**

> We see the bit after Wally challenges McGill, when he rides for home and finds Norah and Davie. We know how furious he was with McGill, and how much he cared for Norah (and it's a beautiful scene) but we don't hear her side. That is, how relieved she must have been to have him home, knowing he would've looked after her. I think she would've known that he would ride for home as soon as he found out, so she was just keeping her fear and emotional stress in check until he got home, because she knew she could let the dam break in front of him and he would give her the comfort she needed.


End file.
